In one technology, as a linear guide device used in a machine tool or the like, for example, the linear guide device illustrated in FIG. 45 can be mentioned. It is to be noted that FIG. 45 is a view illustrative of the linear guide device according to an example in one technology.
As illustrated in FIG. 45, a linear guide device 2 according to an example in one technology is a commonly used linear guide device, and includes a guide rail 14, a slider 20, and plural rolling elements 22.
The guide rail 14 has rail-side rolling element rolling grooves 24 that axially extends, on its outer face.
The slider 20 straddles over the guide rail 14 to be capable of moving relatively, and includes a slider body 16 and two end caps 1.
The slider body 16 is formed to have a substantially reversed letter C shaped cross section, slider-side rolling element rolling grooves 26 opposed to the rail-side rolling element rolling grooves 24, respectively, on both of the sleeve portions (a pair of sleeve portions), and rolling element return passages 12 that penetrate through a thick part of both of the sleeve portions in a moving direction of the slider body 16. Also, rolling element rolling passages 10 are formed between the rail-side rolling element rolling groove 24 and the slider-side rolling element rolling groove 26.
Two end caps 1 are each formed to have a substantially reversed letter C shaped cross section, like the slider body 16, and are jointed with end faces in the moving direction of the slider body 16, respectively. In addition, as a material of the end cap 1, for example, a hard resin material is used.
Further, the end cap 1 includes, as illustrated in FIG. 46, a direction change passage 4, an oil supply opening 6, and an oil passage 8. It is to be noted that FIG. 46 is a view illustrative of a configuration of the end cap 1 included in the linear guide device 2 in one technology, and is a view illustrative of a joint face of the end cap 1, with the slider body 16.
The direction change passages 4 are formed in both of the sleeves portions of the end cap 1, respectively, and communicate the rolling element rolling passages 10 formed between the guide rail 14 and the slider body 16 with the rolling element return passages 12 included in the slider body 16.
Plural oil supply openings 6 are formed on an outer circumferential surface except for the joint face of the end cap 1, with the slider body 16. Specifically, for one end cap 1, two oil supply openings 6 (two places on the left and right) are formed on a left side face (face on the left side in FIG. 46 of both side faces of the end cap 1) and a right side face (face on the right side in FIG. 46 of both side faces of the end cap 1).
The oil passage 8 communicates the oil supply opening 6 with the direction change passage 4.
Plural rolling elements 22 are rollably loaded in a rolling element circulation passage that is an endless circulation passage of the rolling elements 22 formed with the rolling element rolling passage 10, the rolling element return passage 12, and the direction change passage 4. It is to be noted that, for example, a cylindrical roller is used for the rolling element 22.
In the linear guide device 2 including the end cap 1 with the above configuration, for example, when the guide rail 14 is arranged on the horizontal plane to use the linear guide device 2 in a horizontal state, a lubricant supplied from the oil supply opening 6 formed on one of the both side faces of the end cap 1 might be hardly supplied to the direction change passage 4 on a farther side from the oil supply opening 6 from which the lubricant is supplied. In other words, in the linear guide device 2 including the end cap 1 with the above-described configuration, depending on the positional situation using the linear guide device 2, it might be difficult to supply the lubricant adequately into the rolling element circulation passage.
For the linear guide device to address such issues, for example, there are the linear guide devices described in PLT 1 to PLT 3.
In the linear guide device described in PLT 1, an oil passage that communicates the oil supply openings with each other formed in both side faces of the end cap moves the lubricant supplied from the oil supply opening to the upper side (on a far side from the direction change passage) of the end cap, and further moves the lubricant to the center of the end cap, then supplies the lubricant to the direction change passages formed in both of the sleeve portions of the end cap, respectively.
In the linear guide device described in PLT 2, the lubricant supplied from the oil supply opening is introduced through a tube provided in the oil passage to the direction change passages formed in both of the sleeve portions of the end cap, respectively.
In the linear guide device described in PLT 3, a rotary select valve having a three-pronged oil passage formed with a substantially letter Y shaped, depression shaped groove is provided on a lubricant supply path, so as to rotate the select valve depending on the positional situation of the linear guide device when in use and the location of the direction change passage to which the lubricant is to be supplied.